Evocative symbol
Collected bundles of fuel
Not quite solid stone petrified wood
Sun shining between clouds
Finding Meaning at Florissant Fossil Beds
Previously an ancient lake,
Florissant Fossil Beds continues on a trajectory akin to a universal
transformational continuum. The current iteration has adopted the English naming
convention of National Park. Florissant Fossil Beds displays life encapsulated
in rock issues a reminder to man of mortality.
Although formed naturally, the
park symbolizes the incorporation of nature and man. This designation was
chosen and bestowed as a gesture by a people’s government and reveals the possible
compensation of man’s brief tenure within any landscape. This Park, in essence,
is not only a location, rather a type of acknowledgement that calmly unites
government and citizens on the topic of landownership. Preservation of this
compromise is facilitated by man as well as the determination of significance.
Florissant Fossil Beds National
Park nature center educates the masses by providing a glimpse into another time
and space from preserved relics. The park’s educators utilize the surrounding fossilized
evidence to provide scientific information. Samples encased in fossils communicate
a historical narrative. These artifacts prove that remnants from different times
and spaces contain records of different occupiers.
My most profound insights were derived
from processing and producing meaning from the information received during the
trip. Originating from the concept of natural property ownership; competition between
local fossil tourism operations examines the human condition. Even the lessons
learned in avoiding harvesting the petrified stumps with dynamite exhibit
change or adaptation.
The change in appearance over
time assists in the telling of the story. This change induces a symbiotic
relationship with man and nature via the common ground of preservation. The petrified
evidence corroborates the story of the past as much as the more recent
additions to the space such as flag pole and parking lot. Emphasis placed on this
specific place, indicates man assumes the role as ecological steward- an assertion
of man’s perceived domination over nature, time, and space.
These stories of observable change
over time including the roles and responsibilities that man assumes are central
to the studies of Humanities. After reflecting on the trip through Florissant I
continue to ponder about patterns and flux shared between nature, space, and
time. Understanding the perceptions of these relationships assist the understanding
of the human condition.
Florissant Fossil Beds:
Relevant article:
No comments:
Post a Comment